Well it's taken eight issues but Maximum Carnage has finally hit top gear. The fights are ramping up, characters are getting angry and blood is starting to be spilled.
Morality has finally been broken! And in this Comics case it's true. The only problem is that they've been proclaiming this revelation for the last four issues. So it's a bit null-n-void at this point.
"Splash pages!" This is something that's been popping up in every one of this Maximum Carnage comics. I'm only now bringing it up because I finally remember to do so. I don't like the idea of having to turn a comic book on its side. It's all well and good if you're reading it at home and nobody else can see you. But if you're like me and you read comics on the bus to pass the time, turning it on its side makes it look like you're engaged in some sort of pornographic novel. I already get strange looks from people because I'm reading a comic to begin with. I don't need the added aggravation.
Anyways the comic begins with Carnage in a hysterical state. He's be mocking the superheroes for being so stupid as to let him survive. Proclaiming that he is now an invincible demigod that can be destroyed by no man. As one may imagine Venom and Black-cat don't take this well. Charging in head-first to try and take down Carnage*. But Spider-Man and Firestar a bit more hesitant. They don't want to go in with guns blazing as they're concerned they might accidentally kill somebody. Black-cat makes a point to tell the two of them off. Calling them a bunch of coward diplomats. stating that while they sit here and debate their little quorum, she and the rest of the crew are going to go out and resolve the problem in blood.
Carnage as of this moment is in a state of euphoria. He's so extremely happy and overcome with joy at the state of affairs that's around him. He's not the only one; Shriek (Carnage's theoretical wife and partner-in-crime) is having a gay old time, fighting the character Cloak and messing with his head, harassing him about the death of his friend Dagger. Cloak at this point has been pushed a little bit too far and attempts to shove Shriek into an interdimensional portal where she'll be confronted by the Demons of all existence. The problem this has already happened to her once long ago. It was this action that turned her into a psychopath to begin with. So repeating the action has no real effect on her. Hell! Shriek is so amused by this antic that she goes on a little tirade claiming that it's Cloaks fault for turning her into a demon and killing dagger.
It seems the psychiatric torture is just too much for Cloak. He teleports out of the fight completely unable to face the reality of his actions. At the same time the character known as Demogoblin has just killed the maniac vampire with a pumpkin bomb. Black-cat is out for the count to, being smashed on the head by a garbage can from a random mob of psychopaths strangers.
And finally at the climax of all the fighting Carnage himself is throwing every bit of strength he has at Spider-Man and absolutely making waste of him. Even Venom has little effect on Carnage. It seems the only person who can even remotely hurt him is Firestar and she's hesitant to do so. Fearing that her power might accidentally kill him.
But the fighting become so intense that Spider-Man After listening to Venom has also agreed that killing Carnage may be the best option. And in a way gives his blessing to Firestar to do it. As she does so the symbiont is slowly destroyed leaving once again the body of Cletus Kasady. There's a selection of panels afterwards showing the facial expression of Firestar as she gets closer and closer to terminating Carnage. Her emotions are in a state of turmoil and she's almost committed a murder. It's only at the last second when Spider-Man finally realises the inhumanity of their actions, telling Firestar to let up before she does something that we all regret. Once again Eddie Brock and Venom are not amused by this antic and decides to throw Firestar and Spider-Man to the side. He will destroy Carnage once and for all. But Shriek is standing between the two and she blasts Venom with so much raw power that his own symbiont is practically destroyed.
And unlike cartilage he can't regenerate so quickly. Shriek is about to kill them when Carnage stops her. She's taken aback by this action confused as to why Carnage of all people would stop her from killing one of his most egregious of enemies. But he makes things quite clear. ''If we kill him now there's no more fun to be had'' The adventure is over and they can never Conflict turmoil on them again. So they decide to steal him along with the Sonic gun and swing away hoping to exact gruelling and unspeakable torture upon the now defenceless Eddie Brock.
While all the fighting is happening we get a single page panel of Mary Jane sitting in her apartment attempting to read some books she has very little interest in. Her chain-smoking has become out of hand and she's become so distraught by life that the actions of Peter Parker might kill her before they kill him. To put it simply ''Mary Jane is in a mess'' and it's unknown what will happened to her.
Now we're at the end of the comic: Eddie Brock is captured and presumably being mutilated for Carnage's own amusement. The Vampire is dead, Black-cat is out for the count, Cloak has disappeared. Fire-star has been throwing unconscious because of the actions of Venom and it looks as if Spider-Man has hit the darkest chapter in his life. when Out of the Shadows who should appear but Captain America!
The great irony is this was the part of the comic I was dreading the most. I was expecting Captain America's introduction to be very corny and to have little actual bearing on the plot. But his introduction to the comet comes at just the right time. With most the superheroes Down and Out. Spider-Man needs one trusted Ally somebody whose morality cannot be shuck and destroyed by the simple actions of a Maniac.
And in case you forgotten Captain America was able to keep his morality even in the face of the most brutal of the Holocaust, An event that no Carnage could ever create.
The comic is ended once again on a cliffhanger. And a particularly good one at that, half of our characters are in peril, some of them are dead or at least near death.
It is the lowest point for Spider-Man but perhaps the highest point for story.
There's a surprising amount of comedy. Carnage has lots of fun little quips and Jabs that he likes to throw it everybody even treat his one or two interesting things to say. And their family dynamic they created with Carnage and shriek as the parents to their children the doppelganger and Demo-goblin.
There's even a fun quote about them sending Venom away as he's represented as being the cranky old man who's trying to break the family apart. Often referring to him as a father.We even get a little Carnage poetry:
Crazy little bed bugs all in a row! Think I'll cut your livers out, do it nice-n-slow!
He's a modern-day Dylan Thomas.
*When you think about it the dumbest thing you can do is charge Carnage head on in a strength battle. Carnage is the representation of absolute strength. he has no mind or complexity to him, he's just Brute power mixed with Psychopathic rage. Making him a bit of an unknown juggernaut.
Maximum Carnage Part 8
Maximum Carnage Part 1
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